1. Freestone
2. Keegan #
3. Howard
4. Bound
5. O'Leary
6. Cusack
7. Thomas
8. Boyd *
9. Mutton @
10. Coates
11. Price

    ---

12. Jones J
13. Morgan @(76)
14. Phillips
15. Jenkins #(66)
16. Roberts *(87)

 Notts Co

1. Ward
2. Hughes #
3. Liburd @
4. Warren
5. Redmile
6. Richardson
7. Ramage
8. Hamilton
9. Stallard
10. Cramb *
11. Owers

    ---

12. Gibson
13. Mcdermott # (61)
14. Dyer
15. Rapley * (81)
16. Farrell @ (74)

A brief report on tonights game. We are hoarse, for two reasons, from shouting in the first half due to us being bad and shouting in the second half due to another battling performance. We were again without Smith & Jones as well as Watkin. Mutton O’leary & Keegan deputising. Approx 100 fans in a crowd of around 3500.

Not much to write about our performance in the first half apart from Jason Price being booked for diving in their penalty area. It was up the far end so can’t comment, but we all know he must by now be getting a reputation for the theatricals.

Any football came from County who although not looking like one of the better teams in the division did play some crisp attacking moves, and to be fair we could have been 3 down at half time. The one bright point was the goal a peach of a shot from outside the box by Thomas into the top corner. Half time came with us 1 –0 up, how we don’t know.

The second half showed much improvement in performance but not in football terms. We did battle and contained County to no clear chances. There were attacking runs by Price Boyd and Mutton who although seemed to unsettle the defence all came to nothing, as they did not look for the options available. Count became unsettled and there were a few wild tackles which the ref ignored. There was a scuffle up the far end involving Freestone, Cusack & their number 6 who seemed to have lost it. The ref was loosing control and when Mutton was tackled from behind he just waved play on and beckoned to Mutton to get up. He was in fact injured and replaced by Morgan. Jenkins had already replaced Keegan. In the final 5 mins Roberts replaced Boyd and did more closing down and chasing than Boyd had done all game. In the last minute it nearly paid off as he hassled two defenders getting a rebound and a from a yard from the edge of the 6 yard box chipped for the far corner, going narrowly wide.

Once again the team have showed they have spirit and can battle. But to progress we all know what is needed. One final comment, at the final whistle Cusack ran from the half way line to the fans behind the goal and gave extended applause. He was followed by the other players but not for as long.

We were struck by some rather terse comments in the programme for tonight's game, which pointed out that last season our goal haul was poor and the depth of our squad was untested. As the Swans took to the field it was clear that the squad would certainly be tested tonight, with the absence of Smith, Jones and Watkin resulting in a makeshift defence, and the further blooding of Tommy Mutton up front. But it was a test that, ultimately, we passed; and as for the goal haul, well at least it increased by one more than Notts County's!

Unsurprisingly, Jason Price dropped back to right back in place of Jones, and O'Leary slotted in to Smith's berth at centre half. More surprisingly, Michael Keegan, rather than Stu Roberts, took the right midfield position vacated by Price, perhaps leaving Stu wondering where he has gone wrong.

From the first whistle our defensive intentions were clear, with the entire midfield tracking back with the home side's runners, and all 11 men behind the ball at all times. But worryingly, we did not defend in the first quarter with any great assurety or confidence, and Notts County's patient and constructive approach play could easily have made us pay. But against the run of play it was an inspired moment from Martin Thomas which sent the 75 or so fully-fuelled Jacks into delirium. From a free kick won by Price on the right touchline, Thomas received the ball on the corner of the penalty area, and curled a superb left foot shot passed the despairing dive of Darren Ward. A genuinely great goal, and much needed.

Prior to this, County had mustered a couple of efforts on goal through Gary Owers, and a header from Stallard which went over the bar. After conceding, they came forward with renewed vigour, and thought they had scored when Stallard slid into a low cross, but his effort was brilliantly blocked at close range by Freestone. But County really should have equalised in the dying moments of the half when the Swans failed to clear a goal mouth scramble, and the ball bounced to the unmarked Colin Cramb, who blazed over from four yards. Boyd had a brief flurry just before half time, shooting wide after a good run.

The second half started brightly for County and in the 50th minute a long cross again found the head of the hapless Cramb, but this time he contrived to head wide. After this the Swans defence found its usual resolve. Keegan and Coates tracked back well to double up on the Notts COunty wide players and support the full backs in stemming the flow of crosses. Starved of supply from out wide, County tried to go through the middle, but found themselved frustrated by Cusack and Thomas, who closed down quickly, placing an extra hurdle in front of the centre half pairing. Reminiscent of the Peterborough game, the home side became increasingly dispirited, unable to turn their possession into any chances at all. Indeed, their only other decent opportunity came deep into injury time, when a header wnet over the bar from close range.

In the end, it was a comfortable, if unlikely, win for a Swans team that hardly threatened as an attacking force throughout. Indeed, it took the introduction of Stuart Roberts with 5 minutes to go, for the seemingly badly injured Mutton, to fashion our only other serious attempt on goal. Roberts went on an optimistice chase after the gargantuan Matt Redmile (now known to all Jacks as "the Honey Monster") and succeeded in catching him in possession, robbing the ball from him and curling an excellent effort just over the bar. In five minutes Stu did enough to remind us all, and most importantly JH, of his undoubted abilities. An abiding image of the final moments was the penalty box crowded with bodies for a Swans corner - the diminutive Swans attack of Roberts and Morgan dwarfed by the huge Notts County defence. Surely we have to do something soon!

Players ratings
Freestone - 8 Very solid under the high ball tonight, after some fumbles on Saturday, but only one difficult save required.
Price - 7 His best ever performance at full back; he is progressing in all departments, but rather less effective going forward.
Howard - 7 Very tidy at the back but not really seen in attack tonight.
Bound - 7 Steady and calm, but less effective without his protege.
O'Leary - 7 A good stout performance at the back; poor distribution though.
Keegan - 6 Good tracking back, but no real impact going forward.
Coates - 5 Gave the ball away far too many times
Cusack - 7 A very hard working, captain's performance
Thomas (MOM) 8 A great goal and an effective all round contribution
Boyd - 6 A couple of good runs, but really marked out of it.
Mutton - 6 A few moments of promise; the injury may halt his progress.
Jenkins (for Keegan) 6 Battled hard to reinforce the midfield
Morgan (for Boyd) 6 One great moment, otherwise ineffective
Roberts - 7 Five great minutes; he deserves more.